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St. catHerine of Siena cHurcH
With the dedication of its new parish center on April 29, 2017
– in conjunction with its patron’s feast – St. Catherine of Siena Parish added a key chapter to its 57-year history.
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St. Catherine of Siena was incorporated in March of 1960, having been formed from a section of Ithaca’s Immaculate Conception Parish to serve Catholics in northeastern part of Ithaca.
Msgr. Donald M. Cleary was the founding pastor.
For the parish’s rst two years, Masses were celebrated at Cornell University until, following successful fundraising efforts by parishioners, a permanent home was opened in Cayuga Heights. Bishop James E. Kearney presided at the dedication Mass for the new church. Two years later, a parish center was added on the St. Catherine campus.
St. Catherine spread the celebration of its 50th anni- versary over a two-year period to note the gap of
time between the parish’s establishment and the church’s opening. Anniversary events kicked off with Bishop Matthew H. Clark celebrating an April 2010 Mass at which numerous founding members were present. Bishop Clark also had presided at St. Catherine’s 25th-anniversary liturgy in 1985.
Following several years of planning and fundraising, the St. Catherine community enjoys a new parish center, which was dedicated by Bishop Salvatore R. Matano on April 29, 2017. The facility offers needed extra space for the parish, located at 309 Siena Drive, which in recent years has experienced growth in Mass attendance, collection income, participation in religious-education programs and various ministries.